oacnewsIupdate

Presenting Christ by all means everywhere! 2O1O UPDATE

oacnewsIupdate

New National DirectorPeter Kennelly writes...

“Shine your Light in the Black Country”

ENCOUNTEROne young man, Daniel, told a team member that

he was pleased that I was talking to the crowd and

not shouting at them and he said thank you for that;

he took a Gospel of John.

ENCOUNTERA Muslim man and woman stopped. She wanted to

go, but he wanted to stay; they stayed through a

talk and afterwards the man took a Gospel of John.

ENCOUNTERA Japanese gentleman, speaking very little English,

was greatly pleased to accept two pamphlets in

Japanese.

To encourage you that proclamation evangelism in the open air is a valid tool for communicating the gospel today, and to inspire you to pray, you will see dotted around these pages photos of OAC evangelists reaching out in Birmingham, London, Kent, Turkey, France and Nigeria. Also you will be able to read snippets of conversation or reactions from the streets. Along with all of this you will find the names of the evangelists and Assistant Evangelists linked with OAC GB. However, please note that where the photographs, excerpts and names of the individual evangelists are placed close to each other they are not necessarily linked. Please pray.

I am honoured to become the new National Director of OAC Great Britain. Honoured because of the calibre of the two National directors who have gone before me. If you know anything about OAC’s history in this country for the past 45 years you will know what we as a mission owe to David Fanstone and Dave Glover.

I am honoured because I have been asked by theNational Council to lead a talented, experienced,committed, faithful group of full-time evangelists.Along with the honour comes the measure ofresponsibility I feel for them, their families, supportcommittees and the team of prayer and financialsupporters around each one of them.

Added to this are the Assistant evangelists andAssociates and along with them is the countlessnumber of people who are interested in the ministryof proclamation evangelism that OAC does in thestreets and churches, the teaching work we do in theschools and the training, encouraging and enablingwork we do in the churches.

I am most honoured to be serving, alongside you, the One who himselfcame not to be served but to serve and give his lifea ransom for many (Mk 10:45).Who would not wantto give their life for the One who gave His life for usand who promised that “those who honour me I willalso honour” 1 Sam 2:30.

Please pray for me, Alison and our children as I seek

to hold onto the honour and carry the responsibility.

It all started when a good group of mainly youthful volunteers were joined by evangelists from OAC andOperation Mobilisation at Smethwick Gospel Hall lastsummer.

After training in the morning, they worked in large teamsat lunch time open airs at different town centre locations,preaching from the sketchboard and doing personalevangelism amongst the crowds who listened. By theend of the week some had preached publicly for the firsttime. In the afternoons and evenings they were brokendown into smaller groups to work with local churches.

OAC’s evangelist in the area, John Heyward, noted,“‘Shine your light in the Black country’ was successfulin at least two ways. First, the team members grewindividually in confidence in witnessing to many different types of people.

Secondly, the week impacted some of the middle-sizedchurches who joined us. However, it was not just

churches who were involved with the mission whobenefited. As I discovered at Christmas, it encouragedother churches who were on the fringes of what wewere doing. One such church sent just one teammember to join us ‘Andrew’ (not his real name), andthey followed the week's events with just passinginterest. But it seems that over the autumn ‘Andrew’has kept stirring up the gifts for outreach. Theyalready do some community events and take services in seniors’ homes. But now they are nowplanning extra neighbourhood events. It seems thatbecause of the Shine your Light mission they continue to catch on fire for sharing Jesus relevantly- and in their own back yard!”

(Watch the video “Shine your light in the Black Country” on “You Tube” to see some more.)

Steve and Julie GurnettSouth London

Derek and Mavis Heyman

Senior Evangelist (London and Brighton)

John and Miriam Heywood West Midlands

Pete and Angie HodgeWales

oacnewsI update

Dave Glover speaks about his10years as National DirectorAt first, especially after the honeymoon period (I think that was abouta week), it felt like a life sentence with time off for good behaviour.Still 10 years is what I felt the Lord telling me and 10 years it was! Sowhat was it like to run a work like OAC and how did David Fanstonemanage to do it for so long? I have to say that it was as if someonehad given you their child to bring up. The sense of responsibility, notjust for the mission, but for individuals, their families, and theirministries, was incredible. However, with the responsibility came manyjoys, lasting friendships, and the thrill at seeing God at work all overthe world!

Over the years there were many challenges. The

world is a different place since OAC was first

founded. Ever increasing legislation in matters of

Child Protection, Health and Safety, Employment

Law, Charity Law, brought their own challenges.

A knowledgeable and supportive National Council

(and a superb General Secretary) played an

immense part as Rule Books were revised and

new policies put in place. Publicity materials and

websites all needed an overhaul and I am pleased

looking back at the progress that we made.

Administration is what keeps the show on the

road but it is in the field that the real work is done

and seeing God at work there is the greatest

motivation that one could ask for.

Working with staff evangelists and representing

the work at Zone and International Conferences,

have been without question the highlights of the

last 10 years. God is doing amazing things

through the work of OAC here in the UK and

around the world. OAC have some of the most

wonderful people you will ever meet. Men and

women who live sacrificially for the sake of Christ

and who daily live out the Gospel that they so

faithfully proclaim! I will never forget the thrill

of preaching in Rio de Janeiro, or the open air kids

meeting in a poor area of Philadelphia. I get

goose bumps remembering the testimonies of our

staff in South America, Ukraine, Russia and India.

It has been a real blessing to see the work in

Latvia grow from first getting to know the

Burnside family, helping in training them, and

now supporting them as chairman of the work

there. The Reach the City campaigns in Bristol,

Cardiff and Birmingham were all very special

times as they gave OAC evangelists the chance to

work together breaking the isolation that often

we feel. Heaven alone will tell the full story of

lives changed and won for the kingdom but then,

as now, the Glory will all be His!

What next? It has been too busy to stop and work

that out yet. Certainly not retirement! Next year’s

diary is already filling up with opportunities both

here and abroad. I will want to give time to

training and encouraging others but also feel

there is a lot more proclaiming in me yet! Bless

you for all your prayers for me and Sue over the

years and please don’t stop as we need them now

as much as we ever did! To God be all the Glory!

Amen!

By all means everywhere...REACHING CHILDREN

Primary Schools Training SeminarThis term I am taking assemblies in 55 schools and sharing the gospel with 10,000 children

& their teachers! Would you like to do that? Do you ever have the opportunity to take

Primary School Assemblies? Or do you wish you did?

Dates: 9.00am–5.00pm 14th–18th June 2010, Hooe Baptist Church, Plymouth

Cost: £85 - £100 per person (Not including accommodation)

For more details email: dawn.getley@oaci.org NOW (limited places).

OR write to: Dawn Getley, 23 Periwinkle Drive, Plymouth, PL7 2WR

Dawn is a qualified teacher who has been taking assemblies in over

80 Primary School s for the last 23 years

Stuart & Ceinwen Burnside Latvia

Korky and Anni DaveyWest Country

Mark and Cathy DetzlerWest Country

Alan & Sue OffordCornwall

By all means everywhere...WHETHER OVERSEAS

ENCOUNTERBenjamin – A Jewish man we met last week.

He came to church on Sunday and stayed for lunch.

On Monday he called to say that he was beginning

to believe Jesus might be Messiah – today he said

‘If I become a believer I’ll be a Messianic Believer...

I am not going to give up being Jewish!’

ENCOUNTERI had a long, deep conversation with Juliet about

Jesus, the emptiness of religion, how to get to heaven

etc. She has been spiritually searching for a long time

and has read a lot of eastern spiritual books. I gave

her a John’s gospel.

ENCOUNTERI had a long conversation with a gentleman called

Roymond (correct spelling) - he asked a lot of

keen questions and after half an hour or so I led

him in a prayer of repentance and profession of

faith in Jesus. This morning I’m sending him a

copy of EDWJ for New Christians and am seeking

to find a good church for him in his area.

Steve Gurnett writes abouthis trip to NigeriaOn a Tuesday in October 2009 I set out from my family home on myway to central Africa, my destination Kagoro, Kaduna State, NorthernNigeria. This was to be my forth visit to this remote town surrounded bygranite clad mountains. This year would be different in that my usualtravelling companions, a Pastor and his wife who hailed originally fromthe Romford area of London, would not be accompanying me.

Kagoro is predominantly Christian but is surrounded by Kaduna State, a Muslim stronghold. The surrounding

area had been spared violence during last year’s unrest in nearby Joss.

In the early hours we arrived at the Abuja airport where we were transported in heavy rain to our destination

130 miles to the north. High speed driving in steamed up old cars, with cracked screens and worn out

windscreen wipers, on roads with large pot holes is not something for the faint hearted, but great fun if you

don’t take life too seriously, and your wife is not there to see what you get up to.

My two weeks stay was full of different tasks. One was leading a seminar on evangelism. Sharing the gospel

has a different focus in what is a very Christianised society. Many people attend church but not all know Jesus

in a personal way. There is a need for Spirit filled life styles, while being ready to verbally point people

towards the Saviour in a clear way.

I was able to lead one open air meeting in the town. This was followed by an hour of counselling those who

needed help. The local team, which I trained in the past, engages in open air preaching during the year and

those leading invariably use the sketch board and other visual aids, which enhance their preaching.

Other activities were taking school assemblies, taking part in a church leaders’ conference and leading a

number of meetings in a remote village, where they rarely see visitors from the outside world. Here we were

warmly welcomed by the Tribal Chief who himself is a follower of the Lord Jesus. It was also a great

encouragement to Margaret, a teacher, who heads up the Christian youth work in the area.

Our visit also enables us to encourage our hosts who run both a Christian discipleship group and fast growing

school of about 500 pupils.

The support we are able to take out assists our hosts in continuing their work in building a strong Christian

community and reaching out to those in need in the locality.

Once more I return with a sense of gratitude to live in a country were the provision of basic needs is the

norm rather than the privilege of the rich few. It is the coming of the Kingdom of God, through his people,

that will bring about change in this country with so much potential.

...OR ON THE STREETS OF THE UK

Originating from South London, teaching English in Spain,coaching tennis in USA, evangelising in Israel, Dave Workmannow finds himself in the ‘Garden of England’...sunny Kent !He leads outreaches on the streets, in schools, university, prison, youth clubs, boot fairs, etc.....

”becoming all things to all people” that he may win some. Leading a group of volunteers, he’s now also

begun teaching English to local Nepalese families, for free, from the Bible-which has a Gospel which is

also free !

He’s most ‘at home’ on the streets of Canterbury, Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Ramsgate where he

regularly uses the sketchboard to engage with ‘whosoever’ to explain the Gospel.

He says ”as the opposition is increasing, so is the increase in reaching minds and hearts with the Truth

of the ‘Creator’-not the ‘evolver’; the loving ‘Saviour’- not the ‘dictator’; the Gospel of ‘Grace’– not of

‘works’ ”.

The last two times in Ramsgate have resulted in over 40 people at a time staying after the sketchboard

message to collectively ask about Creation, the Bible’s accuracy, Salvation through Faith, Heaven and

Hell ........for almost an hour !

Almost running out of tracts and being thanked as they left by even some who’d shown hostility at

first, he now does follow up through email to answer further questions. A student commented on one

email that she’d never heard the Gospel explained before and is so thankful now that she’s a believer as

a result.

After the weekly outreaches in Canterbury, he now regularly has interested students, etc, going with

him and the team to Burger King for ‘Grill-a-Christian’, which is where they can ‘grill’ the team from a list

of 100 questions...... plus get a free drink. “How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”Rom 10:14

Married with 3 lively children at secondary school in Ashford,

Dave sees the Lord’s planting them in the ‘Garden of England’

will hopefully bring much ‘fruit’ as they stay ‘rooted and

grounded’ in Him, the Giver of Life.

//daveworkman.yolasite.com/www.christiananswers.netDave.workman@oaci.orgwww.oacgb.org.uk

Meeting Kent’s

DAVE WORKMAN

Norman Moderatewho has served asNational Secretaryfor the last 5 yearswrites...What a joy the last 5 and a bit years have been!

When I became General Secretary in May 2004

I wasn’t really sure what was in store for me but

the years turned out to be some that I will

remember into eternity. The support and

encouragement that I have received from Staff,

Council members, Assistants and Associates has

been amazing and I can only put that down to

one thing – a common love for and desire to

serve the one true Lord.

There are many things that I am not and an

evangelist is one of them. But I do enjoy

enabling others to fulfil their God-given

purpose and this is what I have tried to do for

those involved in OAC Ministries. Whether it has

been at Council meetings, the Evangelists

Conference or Reach the City events, to serve

them has been a great privilege. And yet I feel

that I have received so much more in return as

just being around these folk has given me a

greater understanding of God and deepened my

relationship with him.

Sadly, age and young grandchildren mean that

I need to step down but I will always be thankful

for the new things that I have had the

opportunity to experience, the people that

I have met and the chance to be involved in this

great work.

David and Alice FanstoneBrighton

Dawn and Mike GetleySouth West

Roger and Rosemary GrayYorkshire

Steve HarrisWales

Marten & Helen Holmes CornwallPeter & Alison Kennelly North LondonJohn & Jean HowarthSenior Evangelist - (Preston and Blackpool)Dave & Vikki Workman KentSue Offord - Assistant EvangelistCornwall

ENCOUNTERWhilst I was painting up for my first talk a group of

four schoolboys came up. One exclaimed, “He used

to come into my school, Westmorland!”, the second

said, “He used to come into Aspinal.” And a third

said, “He used to come into St Mary’s.” An adult

woman with them who turned out to be a teacher

said, “Do you want to listen to him?”“Yes” they

replied so the four boys and two teachers stopped

and listened to the whole talk and the boys took

leaflets at the end. During the talk, three teenage

Goths came along and one said, “He used to come

into my school!”“He must be famous,” said one of

the teachers to a team member. Afterwards she

spoke with the two teachers and both took John’s

gospels.

oacnewsI update

Salvation – Innit!

OAC Evangelist Mark Detzler writes,Tim Keller makes the point that if you met an atheist 20 years ago hewould at least have been a Christianatheist. By that he means that theatheist would have shared Christianunderstandings of the nature of God,of heaven and of salvation even as herejected them as the truth.

Today we are seeking to bring the truth of Jesusto a generation of people who have noexperience of Christianity and whose parents andgrandparents are largely un-churched. Thismeans that the majority of people in their 20sare Biblically illiterate. They might have heard ofMoses but they couldn’t tell you if he and Jesuswere contemporaries, they might know thenativity story but they couldn’t find Bethlehemon a map, and when they speak of salvationand the afterlife their understandings areinformed more by Buddhism than by the Bible.

Add to this the 1.5 million people in the UK froman Islamic background. It means that we have abig communication gap.

It used to be thought that all we had to do was topreach the gospel and everything would be OK,and yet how clear is our presentation of thatgospel message?

Our Gothic church walls are reinforced bypractices and language which seem equallyconfusing.

If we can get people past the architecture theystill have to wade through a whole new set of

difficulties. They have to learn when to stand,when to sit, and they have to learn a whole newlanguage, they have to get used to listening to atalk with no commercial breaks and, often for thefirst time in their lives, participate in corporatesinging.

Before people can engage with Jesus they oftenhave to work their way through a Christianculture which seems to be obscuring the message.

OAC has spent the last 140 years making theChristian message accessible to people on thestreets, in schools, in prisons and in the workplace.

In Bristol Mark and a team of 25 from KensingtonBaptist Church in Easton will soon be launching anew and exciting initiative called BC3 (Bristol CityCentre Church). In a coffee shop in the centreof the city we will be forming a church withoutwalls, where people can come in for coffee anda pastry and stay to be part of praise andproclamation.

A place where they can text the preacherquestions to be answered after the message.

A chance to have a mentor who leads them on aroad of discovery until they can see that the storyof Jesus is true for "them", and eventuallyunderstand that it is true for all.

Our vision is to strip away as many barriersas possible so that people can experience Christfirst hand and hear the message of the cross in itssimplest form, and where they can begin tounlearn what they know and engage with thetruth of the Bible and move from being“un-churched”, to becoming a living part of theBody of Christ.

Jon GoreAssistant Evangelist - Kent

Anni DaveyAssistant Evangelist - West Country

Rosemary GrayAssistant Evangelist - Yorkshire

Pauline JonesAssistant Evangelist - West Country

Dave MwanikiAssistant Evangelist - London

Hamish & Helen LeightonWest LondonPaul & Natalie AylenCornwallGeoff and Doreen BeckenhamManchester

Michela Piccolo-BrunoOAC Representative - Italy“I’m not religious but I am spiritual!”“I don’t believe in God but I believe in me!”“That may be true for you but it’s not true for me!”

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Numbers aren’teverythingIn the October half term I had the great privilegeof taking a Holiday Bible Club at New MiltonEvangelical Church in Hampshire.

It’s always a privilege to do these things, but this

one was special because it was the church where,

50 odd years ago, my Grandfather was the

minister, where my parents were married and

where I was dedicated as a baby. I was so

delighted when they asked for a mission week.

Mike and I had a great time with the children –

all 20 of them! (And I only got to 20 by counting

a three year old who came in on the last day

with her mum) That sounds really small, but the

weekly Kids Club in the Church only had 6

children to start with, so that’s at least a 200%

increase on their normal children’s work.

Of course the great thing about only having a

small number of children is that you can relate to

them all in a much more personal manner. I’d

love to say that they were all converted – but I

can’t. What I can say is that the church mid week

children’s club now has several more children

coming along. One young lad, who has Autism,

tentatively agreed to come on the first day and

then kept coming back and now attends the

weekly club. And two parents are now in a

Christianity Explored Course with the Church. So,

all in all – I think the numbers really did add up!

Dawn Getley, OAC South West

PRESENTING CHRIST... By all means everywhere

OAC Ministries ‘Presenting Christ by all means everywhere’(Registered charity number 295432)

National Director: Peter Kennelly, OAC Ministries, PO Box 857, London EN1 4ZSTel. 07815 605 976 E-mail: peter.kennelly@oaci.org Website: www.oacgb.org.uk

Pleaseprayfor......more people to be called to

full-time evangelism with OAC

...OAC evangelist

Rob Vollerbregt as he seeks this

year to establish a work in

Northern Ireland

...the spiritual, physical and

financial wellbeing of the

evangelists and their families

...each evangelist and

evangelism team member the

same prayer that Paul asked

the Ephesians to pray “that

whenever I open my mouth,

words may be given me so that

I will fearlessly make known

the mystery of the gospel”

...yourself, asking God how he

would want you to be involved

with OAC

Rob VollebregtNorthern Ireland

Paul and Julie Wakefield

Nottingham and Romania

Chris and Hilde MathiesonSpain

Dan and Zoe TruittGreece